The Richmond Register (Richmond, Ken.)
RICHMOND, Ken. (AP) -- Police released a video of a controversial May arrest that has angered some civil rights leaders who accused authorities of racial profiling.
Meanwhile, a Louisville-based civil rights group filed a complaint against the city and its police department, alleging excessive force was used to arrest seven black people that night.
The 25-minute footage from the May 30 arrest released Wednesday shows at least part of the arrests of Natasha Miller, 21, and James Gibbs, 20, but most of the others arrested that night are off-camera.
The tape, compiled from two cruisers’ video cameras, shows Officer Greg Marcum’s footage of Gibbs’ arrest.
On the tape, Cpl. Tim Craft, who was supervising the shift on duty, rapidly approaches Gibbs with pepper spray in his right hand. After Gibbs -- who does not appear to resist arrest -- is sprayed in the face by Craft, the officer charges Gibbs’ back and knocks Gibbs to the ground. Craft then walks a few feet away and begins spraying an unidentified person.
An internal police investigation, based on the tapes and interviews with officers and witnesses, determined that excessive force was not used.
Police say the incident began when two men ran from officers, who had come to clear vehicles blocking Orange Street in a predominantly black section of Richmond.
According to a police record, Gibbs was 22 feet from the location of two other arrests when he was sprayed. Craft “did not wish to get in a position to where he had to try and physically restrain Gibbs because Gibbs is a very large person, and he has had to try to physically restrain him in the past,” according to an arrest report.
The tape shows that Miller was arrested after protesting the arrest of her boyfriend, Larry Sims Jr. Sims turned as if to flee before being questioned and police tackled him. A handgun fell out of his clothing, police said.
Officer Norman Craig told the internal investigator, Maj. Bob Tudor, that Miller became irate and charged toward officers. Craig bodyslammed her, angering witnesses and people leaving a nightclub down the street. None of that is captured on the tape released by police.
At least 11 cruisers were on the scene, but the department has stated that only Marcum and Knuckles’ cruisers had video that contained relevant footage.
Two days before the video was release, the Louisville-based Justice Resource Center filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice against the city of Richmond and its police department, alleging excessive force and racial profiling in the arrests.
Sheree Campbell, Richmond liaison for the center, complained about the conduct of police on the tape.
“See how hard he slams (Miller’s) chest,” she said. “As far as I’m concerned, the videotape hurts them.”
Campbell’s son, Jamarkos, was among those arrested on May 30. She said she and other residents suspect there are more tapes that police have not told them about.
Willard Reardon, public affairs officer for the Richmond department, said the tape clearly shows Miller is resisting and talking back to officers. At one point, she turns around as if to walk in the other direction. The officer did what he had to do to control her, Reardon said.
Justice department officials will read and review the complaint and, “From there, they’ll look at the facts of the case, look at the evidence and see if there is enough to proceed with an investigation,” said Eric Holland, public affairs specialist for the department.
City Manager David Evans said the Richmond Human Rights Commission and Ken Thompson, a consultant from Frankfort, are examining the results of the internal investigation.
Meanwhile, three other people, two of them white, have filed complaints this month against Richmond police, alleging abuse.